Data / Rankings / Rental vacancy rate (US) / US states

US states by rental vacancy rate (US)

North Dakota had the highest rental vacancy rate (US) of 51 states in 2017, at 16.7%. Washington had the lowest, at 3.5%. The median was 7.4% and the figure for the United States was 7.2%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest16.7North Dakota
Lowest3.5Washington
Median7.451 states
United States7.2History

Map of states, 2017

Alabama: 14 %Alaska: 7.4 %Arizona: 7.5 %Arkansas: 11.6 %California: 4.3 %Colorado: 5.5 %Connecticut: 6.8 %Delaware: 6.4 %District of Columbia: 7.1 %Florida: 8.5 %Georgia: 7.6 %Hawaii: 8.7 %Idaho: 7.7 %Illinois: 8 %Indiana: 10.4 %Iowa: 7 %Kansas: 11.5 %Kentucky: 7.4 %Louisiana: 10.7 %Maine: 4 %Maryland: 7.8 %Massachusetts: 4.9 %Michigan: 7.6 %Minnesota: 5.8 %Mississippi: 11.8 %Missouri: 9.9 %Montana: 6.9 %Nebraska: 7 %Nevada: 6.7 %New Hampshire: 3.7 %New Jersey: 4.9 %New Mexico: 10.5 %New York: 5.2 %North Carolina: 7.8 %North Dakota: 16.7 %Ohio: 6.6 %Oklahoma: 9.1 %Oregon: 5.6 %Pennsylvania: 7.2 %Rhode Island: 3.5 %South Carolina: 10.4 %South Dakota: 7.2 %Tennessee: 7.8 %Texas: 9.8 %Utah: 6.2 %Vermont: 3.6 %Virginia: 6.7 %Washington: 3.5 %West Virginia: 8.7 %Wisconsin: 4.8 %Wyoming: 14.7 %
  • Under 5
  • 5 to 6.7
  • 6.7 to 7.4
  • 7.4 to 7.9
  • 7.9 to 10
  • 10 and over
%, 2017. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2017

North Dakota: 16.7 %North Dakota16.7Wyoming: 14.7 %Wyoming14.7Alabama: 14 %Alabama14Mississippi: 11.8 %Mississippi11.8Arkansas: 11.6 %Arkansas11.6Kansas: 11.5 %Kansas11.5Louisiana: 10.7 %Louisiana10.7New Mexico: 10.5 %New Mexico10.5Indiana: 10.4 %Indiana10.4South Carolina: 10.4 %South Carolina10.4Missouri: 9.9 %Missouri9.9Texas: 9.8 %Texas9.8Oklahoma: 9.1 %Oklahoma9.1Hawaii: 8.7 %Hawaii8.7West Virginia: 8.7 %West Virginia8.7Florida: 8.5 %Florida8.5Illinois: 8 %Illinois8Maryland: 7.8 %Maryland7.8North Carolina: 7.8 %North Carolina7.8Tennessee: 7.8 %Tennessee7.8Idaho: 7.7 %Idaho7.7Georgia: 7.6 %Georgia7.6Michigan: 7.6 %Michigan7.6Arizona: 7.5 %Arizona7.5Alaska: 7.4 %Alaska7.4Kentucky: 7.4 %Kentucky7.4Pennsylvania: 7.2 %Pennsylvania7.2South Dakota: 7.2 %South Dakota7.2District of Columbia: 7.1 %District of Columbia7.1Iowa: 7 %Iowa7Nebraska: 7 %Nebraska7Montana: 6.9 %Montana6.9Connecticut: 6.8 %Connecticut6.8Nevada: 6.7 %Nevada6.7Virginia: 6.7 %Virginia6.7Ohio: 6.6 %Ohio6.6Delaware: 6.4 %Delaware6.4Utah: 6.2 %Utah6.2Minnesota: 5.8 %Minnesota5.8Oregon: 5.6 %Oregon5.6Colorado: 5.5 %Colorado5.5New York: 5.2 %New York5.2Massachusetts: 4.9 %Massachusetts4.9New Jersey: 4.9 %New Jersey4.9Wisconsin: 4.8 %Wisconsin4.8California: 4.3 %California4.3Maine: 4 %Maine4New Hampshire: 3.7 %New Hampshire3.7Vermont: 3.6 %Vermont3.6Rhode Island: 3.5 %Rhode Island3.5Washington: 3.5 %Washington3.5North Dakota: 16.7 %North Dakota16.7Wyoming: 14.7 %Wyoming14.7Alabama: 14 %Alabama14Mississippi: 11.8 %Mississippi11.8Arkansas: 11.6 %Arkansas11.6Kansas: 11.5 %Kansas11.5Louisiana: 10.7 %Louisiana10.7New Mexico: 10.5 %New Mexico10.5Indiana: 10.4 %Indiana10.4South Carolina: 10.4 %South Carolina10.4Missouri: 9.9 %Missouri9.9Texas: 9.8 %Texas9.8Oklahoma: 9.1 %Oklahoma9.1Hawaii: 8.7 %Hawaii8.7West Virginia: 8.7 %West Virginia8.7Florida: 8.5 %Florida8.5Illinois: 8 %Illinois8Maryland: 7.8 %Maryland7.8North Carolina: 7.8 %North Carolina7.8Tennessee: 7.8 %Tennessee7.8Idaho: 7.7 %Idaho7.7Georgia: 7.6 %Georgia7.6Michigan: 7.6 %Michigan7.6Arizona: 7.5 %Arizona7.5Alaska: 7.4 %Alaska7.4Kentucky: 7.4 %Kentucky7.4Pennsylvania: 7.2 %Pennsylvania7.2South Dakota: 7.2 %South Dakota7.2District of Columbia: 7.1 %District of Columbia7.1Iowa: 7 %Iowa7Nebraska: 7 %Nebraska7Montana: 6.9 %Montana6.9Connecticut: 6.8 %Connecticut6.8Nevada: 6.7 %Nevada6.7Virginia: 6.7 %Virginia6.7Ohio: 6.6 %Ohio6.6Delaware: 6.4 %Delaware6.4Utah: 6.2 %Utah6.2Minnesota: 5.8 %Minnesota5.8Oregon: 5.6 %Oregon5.6Colorado: 5.5 %Colorado5.5New York: 5.2 %New York5.2Massachusetts: 4.9 %Massachusetts4.9New Jersey: 4.9 %New Jersey4.9Wisconsin: 4.8 %Wisconsin4.8California: 4.3 %California4.3Maine: 4 %Maine4New Hampshire: 3.7 %New Hampshire3.7Vermont: 3.6 %Vermont3.6Rhode Island: 3.5 %Rhode Island3.5Washington: 3.5 %Washington3.5
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2017 (%)Change on 2016
1North Dakota16.7+1.3 pts
2Wyoming14.7+2.5 pts
3Alabama14-0.6 pts
4Mississippi11.8+2.2 pts
5Arkansas11.6+0.5 pts
6Kansas11.5+0.4 pts
7Louisiana10.7-0.7 pts
8New Mexico10.5+1 pts
9Indiana10.4+0.6 pts
9South Carolina10.4+1.6 pts
11Missouri9.9+0.8 pts
12Texas9.8+0.4 pts
13Oklahoma9.1-2.1 pts
14Hawaii8.7-1.9 pts
14West Virginia8.70 pts
16Florida8.5+0.4 pts
17Illinois8+0.4 pts
18Maryland7.8+0.3 pts
18North Carolina7.8-0.5 pts
18Tennessee7.8+0.4 pts
21Idaho7.7+1.7 pts
22Georgia7.6+0.4 pts
22Michigan7.6+0.1 pts
24Arizona7.5+0.7 pts
25Alaska7.4-0.7 pts
25Kentucky7.4+0.1 pts
27Pennsylvania7.2+0.9 pts
27South Dakota7.2-0.1 pts
29District of Columbia7.1+1.3 pts
30Iowa7+1.6 pts
30Nebraska7+0.5 pts
32Montana6.9+0.9 pts
33Connecticut6.8-0.2 pts
34Nevada6.70 pts
34Virginia6.7-0.3 pts
36Ohio6.6-0.3 pts
37Delaware6.4-1.7 pts
38Utah6.2+0.5 pts
39Minnesota5.8+1.6 pts
40Oregon5.6+1.2 pts
41Colorado5.5+0.8 pts
42New York5.20 pts
43Massachusetts4.9+0.8 pts
43New Jersey4.9-0.6 pts
45Wisconsin4.8-0.5 pts
46California4.3+0.7 pts
47Maine40 pts
48New Hampshire3.7-0.9 pts
49Vermont3.6-0.9 pts
50Rhode Island3.5-0.2 pts
50Washington3.5-0.3 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Vacant housing units available for year-round use and offered for rent as a percentage of the rental inventory (renter-occupied units, vacant units for rent and units rented but not yet occupied). Annual CPS/HVS average for the United States and states. Seasonal and other off-market vacancies are excluded.

Annual CPS/HVS survey estimates, distinct from ACS five-year estimates. State figures have sampling uncertainty, so a small change need not be statistically significant. Revised columns published on a new basis replace the original year and are marked as series breaks. Pandemic restrictions changed interviewing in 2020 and 2021, affecting comparability. The 2025 average covers 11 months: October was not collected during the lapse in federal funding, increasing uncertainty.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2026). Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages (US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2017) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx

MLA 9

Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages, US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2017. U.S. Census Bureau, 28 Apr. 2026, https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2017. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2026. Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2017. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2017.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2026) Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages, US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2017 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_rental_2017,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages: US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2017}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2017. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t\_3.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages: US states by rental vacancy rate (US), 2017
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/04/28
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/rental-vacancy-rate/us-states?period=2017.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. https://www.census.gov/housing/hvs/files/annual25/ann25t_3.xlsx. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest rental vacancy rate (US)?

North Dakota, with 16.7% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest rental vacancy rate (US)?

Washington, with 3.5% in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Housing Vacancies and Homeownership (CPS/HVS) annual statistics, Table 3, rental vacancy rates by state, United States and states, annual averages. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

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